Insurance agent Walter Neff is fascinated by Phyllis Dietrichson, one of his clients. Together, they plan to assassinate her husband, not without Walter having the latter take out an accident insurance policy. Carrying out their crime, the two accomplices think they have pulled off the heist of the century until the payment is frozen by the investigation led by the head of the litigation department Barton Keyes...
"The desire of Wilder and his collaborators to escape the "glamorous" style of part of the Hollywood production of the time bears the mark of "Film Noir" of which Double Indemnity will quickly become one of the recognized classics" - Patrick Brion, Le Film Noir
For his third American film, Billy Wilder teams up with screenwriter and author Raymond Chandler ( The Maltese Falcon ) and together they adapt a novel by James M. Cain ( The Postman Always Rings Twice ). A timeless masterpiece of film noir, Double Indemnity transcends the genre with its breathtaking use of lighting, a masterful score by Miklós Rózsa and a flawless performance by Barbara Stanwyck, a stunning femme fatale.
DEATH INSURANCE
(1944 – B&W – 103 min)
SUPPLEMENTS (IN HD)
. AUDIO COMMENTS (VOSTF)
From film historian Nick Redman and screenwriter Lem Dobbs (Dark City, The Englishman).
. SHADOWS OF SUSPENSE (38 mins)
A documentary about the film featuring interviews with Eddie Muller, William Friedkin and writer James Ellroy.
. THE LAST CIGARETTE (35 min)
An investigation into Billy Wilder's artistic motivations and the conduct of a character who became one of the most emblematic criminals of the genre.
. TRAILER
Released July 2, 2014 (Blu-ray)
